5 Little-Known Mistakes That Could Affect Your Resume

Are you wishing for a job in the coming year? If you are just starting your job search, or have been applying what seems like too long, you know that your resume needs to be right on target. Below are some mistakes you might not realize you're making on your resume that can affect your chances of landing a new job — or even just the interview:

You've decided against writing a summary statement. This is not a step that should be skipped. When writing your summary, you must customize it to each job description, listing the skills you have that the employer specifies. You can't get away with writing one summary statement; it simply won't apply to every job. Make sure to highlight your skills and note how your skills would make for a great fit in the position.

The summary statement is supposed to be exactly that, a summary. Don't send employers your resume with a summary statement that takes up half of the page.

Your resume is highly stylized. You'd be surprised, but you won't benefit from spending any extra time creating a uniquely formatted or stylized resume. Your resume needs to be easy-to-read, which means simply formatted. Not only does your resume need to be quickly scanned by employers, but also applicant tracking systems which require a well organized format to accurately scan your resumes.

You also must avoid funkier fonts, tiny font sizes, and small margins. Don't try to fit too much information into one space. To do this, use white space appropriately. Your resume will be much easier to read and will have a higher chance at success.

You didn't get someone you trust to scan your resume. Sometimes it takes a fresh pair of eyes to see any inaccuracies. You may pride yourself on your spelling and grammar abilities, but sometimes you just won't see glaring mistakes if you've been staring at the document for too long.

You also need to watch for any larger inaccuracies. Make sure that everything is correct, down to each date. You wouldn't want any mistakes to affect your chances at getting a job.

You've provided employers with plenty of irrelevant content. Employers don't have much time to read each resume. Therefore, you must focus your resume to each job description. If you are having a hard time editing down your resume for relevant content, you can use Resunate to help.

The descriptors you did provide are vague. Don't send in a resume full of vague, general words. Words like "self-motivator" don't really provide much help to employers. Instead, if you want to set yourself apart, explain how you made an impact at the companies you've worked for in the past.